The Spider's Venom
by The Official Me
Summary: WEB OF LIES SEQUEL"Maybe I was tired of always being the responsible one. Maybe I was tired of being the one who was 'jealous' of Zack dating Max, which I wasn’t in the first place anyway. Maybe that's why I did this..." Rated T just to be safe COMPLETE
1. Prologue

_A/N: I'm BACK! I promised you a sequel to Web Of Lies didn't I? Well here it is! Okay, I know the title is kind of weird, but I thought it fit with the title of the first one, and also if you think really really hard about it, it does actually fit to the story. This is only the Prologue, so don't worry, this is as short as it's going to get the chapters will be much longer. For those of you who haven't read Web Of Lies, you don't have to have to read The Spider's Venom, but it will probably make more sense if you do. Now on with the story!_

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**Prologue:**

After the 'incident', of which we will never speak again (under Ms Montgomery's order of course), my brother and best friend became an 'item'.

Great news. Absolutely, positively… Disgusting!

Do you have any idea how disturbing it is to see your brother and best friend kiss? Well, it is very. And it is all my fault.

I suppose I should be patting myself on the back and saying, "Good job Cody. These two would have never gotten together if it were not for you!". But I'm not. I'm kicking myself instead. Everyone else is patting me on my back. And honestly, I don't know why I'm the only one not.

The whole time Zack and I have known Max she has sort of been his. And now it was official. Tapeworm and I had even predicted it happening their feelings were that obvious to everyone except for them. But still, I couldn't actually believe it when it actually did happen.

Julie thought it was adorable, Tapeworm thought it was about time and I never bothered to voice my opinions. If my own twin couldn't tell that something was wrong then it mustn't have been all that big of a deal.

Of course the whole school was talking about it, Zack Martin and Max Montgomery finally together. Even Drew thought it was a good thing, not that affected his feeling towards any of us at all.

Nothing had changed all that much besides the fact that Max was everywhere Zack was and Zack with Max. At time I felt like asking, "Excuse me, are you aware that there us a Zack attached to your arm?".

Mum treated Max differently from all of Zack's previous girlfriends. She even left them in the same room together. ALONE, might I add. Well I think it's a bad idea, no one seems to share that same view though.

The bottom line is: My best friend is dating my brother, and I don't like it. I don't know why, I just don't. But I guess that's how all fairytales end, right? In order for someone to have their happily-ever-after ending, someone else has to give up theirs.

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_A/N: What did you think? R&R to let me know, you will be much loved 3 I'll try and update as quickly as I can. But remember, this story is still under construction, which means I know EXACTLY what I'm writing it's just being rewritten and edited so it can be the best for all you awesome readers :-)_

_I'll be hoping to hear from you all soon,_

_Me 3_


	2. I'm Okay

_A/N: Here's Chapter 2! This it probably the quickest I've ever updated I think. Before you get started though, I want to thank Kalmanari for their awesome review and give them cookies and a giant glomp. :-) Okay now you can all start reading._

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**Chapter 1: I'm Okay**

I woke up to the smell of pancakes. It was a nice smell to wake up to. I also heard a familiar giggle coming from the kitchen. I seemed to be waking up to that a lot since she started dating him. It never bothered me that being the first thing I heard in the mornings though.

Looking at the clock I could see we still had another good two hours before school, no point in getting undressed from my comfy pyjamas just yet.

I could have stayed in bed all morning had it not been for those pancakes. I wouldn't admit to myself that I was also a little curious as to what was making Max giggle.

The air was cooler out in the suite, but the pancakes would warm me up. I started to feel that warmth as soon as I sat at the kitchen table on Max's left.

Zack was babbling off some hilarious experience we had had years ago. She giggled again. Zack seemed to have that effect on people. Max had a nice laugh I noticed, one of those ones that makes other people smile as well.

Mum put my usual in front of me, three pancakes drowned in maple syrup. Zack got his usual as well, six pancakes with chocolate chips drowned in syrup _and_ sugar. No wonder he's the way he is. Mum offered Max one as well and she did not turn it away. If there is any food you were to take from Carey Martin it was her pancakes.

"That's when Arwin turned on the vacuum and Cody-"

"Zack!" I had only just tuned in to the story he was telling Zack, and thank god I had.

"What?" he asked me dumbly, "Oh, you don't want me to tell Max how you-"

"Zack!" I insisted.

"Fine," my brother finally sighed in defeat.

Max didn't investigate any further. She understood there were things I didn't like Zack sharing with people, no matter how funny they may seem to him. She also knew he would tell her later anyway.

As much as I loved Zack as any other twin would his brother, I was aware of various irritating habits. Especially of the late.

Time came to go to school and mum ushered us out of the door. On the bus ride to school it had always been me and Zack sitting behind Max and Julie and Tapeworm behind us. Now though, me and Tapeworm sat behind Max and Zack with Julie in front of them.

I had been staring aimlessly out the window until Tapeworm nudged me in the ribs. "Dude, are you okay?" he asked me quietly while the others continued to laugh at another hilarious joke Zack had told. I nodded absently before looking out the window again.

It was beginning to rain. Terrific.

That day passed so excruciatingly slow I swear that it was taking all the teachers a whole minute to say each syllable in their boring speeches. School just had no hold on my mind today. All I could think about was the rain outside and the miserable grey sky, it looked much like how I pictures the inside of my head to be.

I welcome lunch with open arms. Well, at first I did anyway.

"Man what's up with you," Tapeworm whispered to me as we waited in the cafeteria line to get our lunches. Since it was raining it would be senseless to sit outside at our usual eating spot, so today we would just have to settle for the cramped room available inside.

"There's nothing wrong," I insisted. I only half lied okay? There was definitely something up, I just didn't know what that was yet. So how could I say there was something up when I didn't know what it was.

"Uh, yeah there is. You've been acting all weird for weeks," Tape looked around before whispering even quieter, "Ever since you-know-who got together."

"Don't be ridiculous," my laugh sounded fake even to myself, "I'm... happy, for them."

"Yeah because saying happy through clenched teeth if very convincing your okay with your brother and best friend dating." Drat, he called my bluff. Why was I cursed with this non-ability to lie?

For once I knew when to keep my mouth closed and dropped the subject of my unhappiness completely. I wish Tapeworm could have done the same.

"Don't you guys think Cody has been acting weird?" the first words out of his mouth as we sat down, the very topic I did not want to discuss at the time.

"No I'm perfectly fine. I have _not_ been acting weird. I'm fine."

"Don't lie Cody, we've already established that you can't," was Max going to hold that against me my whole life? Well, I guess I did humiliate her in front of all of our friends and make her believe the one guy she really liked didn't like her... so maybe I deserved it... a little.

"You have been acting a little reserved Code," Julie admitted.

"I know right?" Tape exclaimed, finally finding someone who agreed with him. I wasn't entirely focused on Julie and Tape's discussing on my weirdness. Something about the way Zack had his arm draped over Max's shoulder had come to my attention, and was irritating me.

"... and it's been ever since Max and Zack got together," Tape concluded and Julie seemed to be nodding in agreement.

"You have been acting a little different ever since then," Max mused and I couldn't figure out if the feeling in my stomach was butterflies, guilt or just indigestion.

"I know what the problem is," Zack's statement had turned all eyes at our table towards him, including mine. How could he possibly know? I didn't even know! That and he hadn't paid me the least bit attention, he was using it all up on his new girlfriend.

"Well then share genius!" Max punched him in the arm, but she had that school-girl grin on her face that got that feeling up in my stomach again. "You can't say you've figured out the formula and then not tell anyone."

"Cody's just jealous."

WHAT?

Zack removes his arm from around Max and patted me sympathetically on the shoulder, "It's just eating you up inside little buddy. Don't lie, I've noticed. And no one is blaming you for feeling that way, because not all guys can have the natural ability to snag a girl like I can."

Before Max would have rolled her eyes and called him cocky, but now she just smiled at him in a dumbstruck sort of way. That indigestion was really starting to get on my nerves.

"Zack," I tried to say calmly and keep all the irritation out of my voice, "I'm not jealous that you have a girl friend."

"Oh it's not just that I have a girlfriend." Oh great, he had another revelation. "It's that I got Max."

"What! No. I'm not- Max is- No Zack," Pfft, me jealous that he got Max. Ridiculous I tell you!

"It's understandable man," he continued relentlessly, "I don't blame you. But you had your chance, and you lost it. Just accept it."

"I'm not hungry," I growled through clenched teeth. I'd rather sit through the rest of my classes with an empty stomach than listen to any more of Zack's psychiatric analysis. Which, might I add, was very incorrect.

"Cody!" Tape called after me as I got up to leave and dumped my untouched food into the trash. "Nice going Zack."

"What?"

"Hey, Zack didn't do anything wrong. It's not his fault Cody's a little touchy." And of course Max would stand up for him, because he was the 'perfect' boyfriend who couldn't do anything wrong.

It's no wonder I'm acting different with those two playing mushy Happy Family all the time, bleh.

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_A/N: Now we're starting to get somewhere aren't we? Review and tell me what you think. Oh and as of today I have typed up all the chapters so it's only a matter of when I can be bothered to update as to how long each chapter will take to appear :-)_

_Thank you all for reading_

_Me :-)_


	3. Yep I'm Perfectly Fine

_A/N: It has been approximately 3 hours since I posted my last chapter, but I decided what the hell. But you people better appreciate my hard work of a whole three hours of writing this chapter! (Is joking) Hehe, hope I didn't scare away too many people...._

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_**Chapter 2: Yep I'm Perfectly Fine...**_

The next day went much like the day before had, one minute long syllables, gloomy rain, plus the addition of worried looks from Tapeworm and Julie. I got one from Max when she asked me the answer to a math question and I couldn't answer it, but other than that she paid no attention to me. Zack wasn't worried, but that was nothing new.

When lunch came around I was reluctant to sit with my usual table of so called 'friends'. Okay, so they hadn't actually done anything be called 'so called friends', but I wasn't in the mood to face any more of their interrogation, especially if Zack was going to include the part about how I was _so_ jealous of him and Max.

I didn't really think about where I was sitting down, just so long as it wasn't where Zack was. Now, though, I wish I had paid attention to where I sat. It may have saved me a lot of future issues.

"Hey there Martin," I looked slowly to my right where Drew sat. Damn. "Say, I don't remember saying you could sit here."

"Umm," the entire Drew Crew had their eyes on me as if that alone would be able to pulverise me into the ground in order to make me disappear.

"Where's your brother, don't you usually sit with him and all your nerd friends?" the large group of boys burst into rowdy laughter. It was slightly intimidating, but the mention of my 'friends' was enough to put me in a bad mood.

"Sit with those losers?" I scoffed. Something about what I had said changed the look on Drew's face from "get lost loser" to "hmm that's interesting". Personally, I liked the "get lost loser" look better than this new one.

"Really?" it was more of a statement than a question as he contemplated the meaning behind my insult. I couldn't think of a way to respond, so I remained silent until Drew spoke again. "I suppose you can sit with us then, right guys?" the rest of the Drew Crew, though a little confused, all nodded in agreement.

I should have known that sitting with the Drew Crew would raise questions, because as soon as the bell rang and I headed for my next class Julie confronted me.

"Were you seriously sitting with the _Drew Crew_ just then?" her brown eyes were wide with disbelief while she tried to stop me, but I kept walking.

"What's it to you who I sit with?" it wasn't long before Tapeworm was beside Julie, Max and Zack were somewhere there as well, they just had no input on the subject.

"Well because it's the _Drew Crew_!"

"I can sit with whoever I want to!" Julie ran into my back because I had stopped so suddenly and when I turned she was rubbing her little blonde head with a hurt look on her face. She wasn't the one who should feel betrayed at this moment, "Just because I don't want to be stuck with the same loser friends doesn't give you the right to accuse me."

Yeah, okay, so maybe I was a little harsh. But stress does that to you.

Julie was silent, her eyes fighting between hurt and indignant. I sighed, about to apologize when I felt a firm hand on my shoulder and then Drew was beside me with the whole Drew Crew behind us.

"You're not bothering my man Cody are you Thomas?" Drew said threateningly addressing Julie by her last name.

Well this was a new turn of events. Drew had never stuck up for me since... well, ever!

Julie did her stubborn little stance, arms crossed over her chest and that "I do whatever I want, yeah that's right!" look in her eyes.

"That's what I thought, now on your way Princess," Drew waved his hand dismissively and Julie walked past us, but he kept his hand on my shoulder until Tapeworm, Zack and Max had all passed as well. Zack giving me one of his "what the hell man?" looks as he passed, but I only shrugged it off and hung back, mostly because of the hand restraining me though.

"I should be getting to class now... thanks," I said hesitantly, trying to avoid making eye contact.

"You wanna do something that's even more fun that class Martin?" Drew asked, completely disregarding my adieu and keeping that firm grip on my shoulder.

"More fun that Algebra?" a hint for the future, this is not the best thing to say to a bunch of low grade idiots who don't even know what Algebra is. But it's okay, don't fret for me, because I was lucky enough that these boys weren't just low grade idiots, they were low grade _stupid_ idiots.

Drew laughed loudly and the rest of his crew joined in, Drew wiped his eyes and patted me on the shoulder , "You're funny Martin, I don't know why you didn't hang out with us before."

Drew must have taken my 'joke' as a sign that I was up for whatever it was he was suggesting we do that was more fun that Algebra, he released my shoulder and began walking towards the hallway exit. I remained where I stood, was I supposed to follow them or go back to class? Drew's next action answered my question.

"You coming or not Martin?" he called back to me as he held the door open to the outside world while every other student sat at their desks and listened to teachers. I looked back towards the classroom where I should have been seated in by now, also listening to the teacher's droning.

"Or are you going to go to class and join your loser friends? Go on then, all the other nerds are probably worried about you," it almost sounded like a threat instead of an insult the way a said it.

I could see into the classroom I should have been in through the open door. Tape and Julie were scrawling notes across their page while Zack and Max spent their time playing a productive game of footsies.

It wasn't the hanging threat that made me run after the Drew Crew as they left. It was the thought of being what everyone thought I was. I wasn't going to be the nerdy little mummy's boy everyone thought I was anymore. They all thought they could read me like a book. Well maybe I was tired of being the one everyone copied their homework off. Maybe I was tired of always being the responsible one. Maybe I was tired of being the one who was jealous of Zack dating Max, which I wasn't in the first place anyway. Maybe that's why I did this...

"Hey Drew, wait up!"

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_A/N: Keep an eye out for Chapter 3, it shan't be too far away. Pinkie promise :-) I have no people to thank for their awesome reviews because no one has sent awesome reviews :-( Hopefully there will be some people to thank at the end of my author's note in the next chapter. (Looks around hopefully). :-)_


	4. I'm Not So Sure Anymore

**Chapter 3: I'm Not So Sure Anymore**

There are things you do in life that you do, and it's okay, you have fun and think what you're doing is fine. And it is fine… at the time. Some of these things you do that seem fine, aren't actually fine. It might take a while to sink in that what you've done wasn't actually all that fun, but in the future I definitely look back at walking into a small convenient store down the road from the school with the Drew Crew and don't know what I was think.

I didn't really understand what we were doing at first. Sifting through aisles of junk didn't really seem all that much more fun than sitting in class. Legally we weren't even supposed to be in here seeing as we still had another three hours left of school.

I think the counterman knew this, he kept giving us suspicious looks. I don't blame him, if a group of kids walked into my store during school hours I'd be wondering what they were doing as well. I was wondering what we were doing either way.

I walked casually over to the candy aisle where a few of the guys were looking longingly at the candy. And then I understood what we were doing. If I hadn't been standing right next to him I would have missed the undetectable hand sliding three chocolate bars into his inside coat pocket.

I looked around quickly, just waiting for the man standing at the counter to press some overly sized big red button and the police to come running in and arrest us all, stamping in big red letters on our permanent records "THIEF". But no such thing happened. No stamp, no police, no overly sized big red button. The guy didn't even look up.

"You got anything yet Martin?" the boy who had just stashed away the chocolate whispered into my ear. I shook my head, and also wanted to add "and I don't want to!", but he had already subtly put a packet of skittles and another packet of gum into my hand and turned the other way.

I didn't really know what I was supposed to do with. Steal it obviously, but how? There's no way stashing a bag down your pants wouldn't look suspicious, and I don't think I could fit a whole bag of skittles in my jacket pocket. Wait, why am I even contemplating how I would be doing this? I shouldn't be doing this at all!

I then heard a loud pop and the sound of lots of liquid spilling onto the floor. I walked to the end of the aisle and looked down to the drinks area. Some of the guys were holding the refrigerator door open and there was a two litre bottle of lemonade on the ground, fizzing bubbles and sugary beverage going all over the floor. The fact that they were all laughing loudly proved the fact this had been no accident.

They suddenly stopped laughing and seemed to be looking straight behind me. I turned around in time to jump out of the way of the large counterman that was storming towards them, he did not look pleased. Actually, he looked much like an angry bowling ball now that I think about it.

"Dude we didn't mean to," one of the boys stuttered, though it was apparent it was a fake stutter. Why was he pretending to be scared?

"Yeah man, we only opened the door. It just fell out!" another one rushed on.

"All of you hooligans out of my shop NOW! You should all be in school anyway, now OUT!" the man raged and there was a lot of shoving as the boys ran to get out of his way.

"Come on Martin," one them muttered to me as he shoved me down the aisle, some of the boys grabbing more things on their way out of the store. Now I saw the purpose of the deliberate accident. It was like a diversion, while the counterman was busy focusing on the boys at the fridge the others had grabbed as much stuff as they could, and then as he was taking care of the spillage we could all get out without him paying too much attention to our bulging pockets.

Once we were out of the store we all walked normally, free to laugh of the adrenaline. I was surprised that I was one of the ones laughing the loudest, but for some reason I felt good. The adrenaline was refreshing, and then the prize of getting away with it right under his nose! It felt good.

"What did you get, what did you get?" Drew ushered me once we had sat down in a park. I held out the packet of skittles and gum. Drew slapped me on the back as praise and opened the packet of skittles and we shared them around. Everything that had been stolen was shared equally between people, it was just one man for himself, it was all for one and one for all. Something I hadn't expected.

"Hey guys, look what else I got," one of them was saying proudly as he dipped his hand inside his pocket. We all waited expectantly, and then they all cheered as he drew out a packet of cigarettes and a lighter with the price tag still attached to it. Great, now what was I supposed to do. I was not eager to taste the nicotine smoke as it filled my lungs with tar, but how could I not?

There was enough in the packet for one for each person and then they all used the lighter one at a time, I was the last person on the line. When the lighter finally got to me I held it uncertainly in one hand and the cigarette in the other.

"What's wrong Martin, never had a fag before?" Drew asked as he took a drag on his own cigarette and breathed out a cloud of the toxic gas.

"No," I shook my head, it wasn't exactly something I was ashamed of but I felt a little self conscious as everyone watched me expectantly.

"Stick it in your mouth before you light it," Drew instructed me.

I hesitated, so many thoughts must have been going through my head, so many that I can't even remember what they were. The cigarette itself didn't have any flavour on my tongue, it just tasted like paper.

"Good, now light it," I could feel my hand shaking as I flipped the switch on the lighter, it took a good five tries before I could actually ignite the little flame and light the cigarette. After that I put the lighter down, still with the lit cigarette in my mouth, but holding my breath.

"So go on," one of the guys sitting closest to me urged. Everyone seemed to waiting in anticipation, to see me take that first breath.

I breathed in and almost choked. The smoke burnt my throat and my lungs seemed to restrict themselves against the foreign substance instead of absorbing it. I coughed hysterically, and the smoke burning my eyes made them water. I stopped my coughing fit long enough to hear that the rest of the boys sitting with me were laughing hysterically. Personally I didn't think it was all that funny.

Someone thumped me on the back, sending me into another fit of coughs and the boys into another fit of laughter. My coughing ceased and I was told to try again. I didn't break down into coughs this time, but it still burnt as much as it had before. And the taste was foul.

I searched in my head for a reason to leave. I wouldn't have minded staying longer, except for the fact that if I stayed I would be inclined to keep breathing those rank fumes. That's when I saw the school bus, coming BACK from its return trips. I looked at my watch and saw that it was half past four. School had finished over an hour ago and I was due home an hour ago. Mum was going to have my head.

"I have to go," I said, throwing the cigarette to the ground and stomping on it.

"Why the rush Martin?" Drew called after me.

"I have to home, like an hour ago!" I called back.

"See you tomorrow?"

I stopped in my tracks and looked back, contemplating my next decision. I could say no and go back to sitting with Tape, Julie, Max and Zack, or I could hang out with the Drew Crew. Insufferable interrogation on things I didn't want to talk about, or laid back fun. My old friends thought there was something wrong with me that needed to be fixed, but the Drew Crew had accepted me for what I was without a second thought. So did I want people fussing over my every action and thought, or did I just want to have some carefree fun?

"Yeah," I called back to Drew, "I'll see you tomorrow."

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_A/N: Thank you to ColeSprouseFan for reviewing my last chapter and also for favouriting the story :-) It is much appreciated._


	5. Definitely Not Okay

_A/N: This is the second last chapter folks! So this is your last chance to review and get thanked. Of course I'll thank you for reviewing even if you don't review THIS chapter. But if you Do review THIS chapter, I'm going to make a big thank you list at the end of the last chapter to (you guessed it) Thank all the awesome people who supported me... okay so 3 people reviewed. But no matter how many, they still supported me and I am grateful for that :-)_

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**Chapter 4: Definitely Not Okay**

It took me fifteen minutes to walk home, so it was almost five o'clock by the time I got home. I tried to enter as quietly as possible, hoping not to draw attention to myself, but I knew it was pretty much inevitable. And just like I had predicted, chaos ensued as soon as the door clicked shut.

"Cody Martin!" I winced slightly as Mum used her "you are _so_ in trouble" voice.

"Hi mum," I tried to make it sound casual, maybe if she saw I wasn't worried then she would calm down a little and the consequences wouldn't be so bad. No such luck.

"Where have you been? Do you know what time it is? Your brother and I have been worried sick about you!" Just as she said that Zack came into the room, he was on the phone, and he did look a little worried.

"Never mind Max, he's here I gotta go," Zack said quickly and hung up the phone before standing next to Mum with his arms crossed.

I looked back to Mum and decided it was probably time to answer her before she got any more stressed, "It's not even five o'clock Mum, I'm here now so you can stop worrying."

"But we do worry dude," it wasn't like Zack worry about stuff mum would worry about, but then again, it wasn't like _me_ to skip school and come home late. "I haven't seen you since second period and then you weren't in class-"

"Wait you skipped school?!" Mum's angry worried voice was replaced with her furious voice, which instead of making me cower like it usual did, only seemed to make me annoyed.

"Algebra, Eco and Language," Zack informed her.

"You don't even have Eco with me, how would you know if I wasn't there," I snapped defensively. I didn't mean to sound so snarky, but I was sick and tired of everyone worrying over me when I was perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Did I have no say in my own life anymore?

"Max does, she told me. She's worried too, she's been phoning everyone she can think of trying to get some info on you."

That took me off guard, I had to pause to rearrange my thoughts. Why did Max feel the need to help find me, it's not like _I_ was her boyfriend.

"Since when do you skip class Cody?" Mum pushed at me again. Push, push, push. That's all anyone seemed to be doing lately! Why are you doing this Cody? Why don't you tell us Cody? Cody is it this? Cody is it that?

"Since I decided to today!" I yelled over the top of the continuous questions of my whereabouts. "Why do you think it's so unlike me? Is it because I'm the goody-two-shoes mummy's boy who could never do a thing wrong in his life? Well on the contrary to what you may think, that's not who I am! So stop asking me questions because there is nothing wrong with me!"

I think my loud, and I'll admit somewhat aggressive, proclamation stunned Mum and Zack so much that they didn't know what to say next. That was until Zack frowned, "Do I smell smoke?"

Mum had the same look on her face as she approached me sniffing the air. Except her frown disappeared and she looked genuinely disappointed as she gasped, "Cody? Cody, were you smoking?"

Had they completely disregarded everything I just said? "No Mum, I wasn't smoking." Well it wasn't a complete lie, I only had about two breaths of it.

"Cody I don't want you smoking okay," Mum looked like she was going to cry. That would usual make me feel guilty, but everything seemed upside down today and it only fuelled my annoyance. Why did everyone have to baby me?

"Don't worry I won't do it again, it stinks and it tastes foul," I pretty much growled out from between my teeth as I marched towards our bedroom.

Mum gasped again, and even though I didn't look at them as I came back out to turn into the bathroom with clean clothes I could tell she was crying. Zack only stood in silence and wouldn't meet my eye as I passed him. "Cody," Mum sobbed, I don't know what she was trying to accomplish by it.

I slammed the bathroom door so hard that I heard wood splinter, but didn't check the damage I had made. I turned the shower on high, not checking whether it was too hot or too cold, and ripped of my clothes, throwing them to floor. The water was freezing, but I welcomed it without hesitation. I remembered how Zack had smelt the cigarette smoke on me and grabbed the scrubbing brush. I wasn't just trying to get rid of that disgusting smell, it was everything. I didn't care that I scrubbed myself hard enough until I bled, I just wanted to be rid of it all.

Once the water was off and I was dressed I stared into my own eyes through the mirror. I roughly wiped away the salt water that was rolling down much cheek. What was I doing? I didn't even recognise myself anymore. And what was more frustrating I couldn't justify it.

My fist collided with the face reflected on the surface of the wall and I heard it shatter. Pain shot through my hand and I looked down the minor cuts on my knuckles. It could have been worse, and part of me wished it was. That's when I saw the shard of glass that had dislodged itself from the mirror. I picked up slowly and held it in my hand. I remember thinking that I could have made it a lot worse right then. But I didn't.

I dropped the glass in the sink and collapsed on the floor crying. What was I doing? What was I _thinking_? Maybe there really was something wrong with me.

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_A/N: Yes its that time again, thank you time! Free cookies and hugs included :-)_

_I want to thank ColeSprouseFan for reviewing AGAIN!_

_And also to Rainbow-Monster for reviewing AND adding The Spider's Venom to their favourites AND adding ME to their favourite authors AND adding The Spider's Venom to their story alert!! Phew. You get double cookies with extra milk :-)_


	6. Now, Now I am Okay

_A/N: This is it folks, the last chapter of The Spider's Venom. Are you going to miss it? Of course you are! Unless you favourite it and review and show you absolute love of it! XP I'll be thanking all my reviewers and favouriters (is that even a word...) at the end of the chapter so keep and eye out for your name! I will still appreciate all the reviews from here on out though, and I will try my best to reply to each and every one :-)_

_So here we go, this is the longest chapter I have written for this story, so you better enjoy it!_

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**Chapter 5: Now, Now I am Okay**

That morning when I woke up there was no sweet smell of maple syrup fluffy pancakes, there was no giggling, there was ominous silence. I rolled over in bed, Zack wasn't in the room, nor had he been there last night when I have finally come out from the bathroom and crept into bed.

Outside the room the room was cast will dull light. No wonder no one was up yet, it was still early, and not even Mum would get up this early. I spotted the fold out couch mum used as a bed, on it was both mum and Zack. Even as she slept Mum's expression was pained and she had dried tear stains on her cheeks, her head buried into Zack's shoulder. Said son had his arms wrapped comfortingly around Mum' shoulders, and he wasn't asleep.

As I looked up from Mum his eyes locked on to mine wordlessly, but the look in his eyes said it all. Zack wasn't angry at me for skipping school or making Mum cry herself to sleep. For the first time in a long time Zack was genuinely worried about me. It was his look of concern for me that made my chest burst. It was when Zack looked away and I saw the tear roll down his cheek that I snapped.

I gave a little sob as I regretted everything that happened the day before. I wished I could have gone back and sat down with my real friends and just taken their interrogation. I had never meant to make everyone worry this much.

Zack looked up at me again and we stared at each other for some time that could have only been a few seconds. But in those few seconds I realised that still did care about me, and he always had, no matter about Max. He was still the same brother he had always been, it was me who had changed.

One of Zack's arms moved away from our mother's sleeping form and it reached out to me, and I went to him. I crawled onto the fold out mattress and buried my head into his shoulder like I used to when we were little. Another hand was on my back and I rolled my head to look my mum in the eyes.

"Mum," I croaked through my tears, "Mum I'm so sorry."

"Shh, honey," she hushed me with a sad smile, "It's okay."

None of them, Julie, Tape, Zack, Max or Mum cared what I had done, or what I had become, all they cared about was me, just me. The pressure I had been feeling from everyone over the past few days hadn't been them trying to pin me down, it was them trying to help. And I had pushed them away by ignoring my problem, whatever that was. And whatever my problem was, they would help me figure it out and then fix it. They'd help me remove this vile venom that I had somehow injected into myself.

And there we sat huddled together in the early hours of the morning. Two of us slightly relieved and optimistic that things would now be better, one of us wondering how he had screwed everything up so badly and praying that he would be able to fix it. But even though everything had seemed so darkly hopeless, in the arms of my brother and mother, I knew I would be able to fix it no matter how long and how many tries it took.

-:-

"Martin! I've been wondering where you were, haven't seen you all day. The boys and I are going back done to the store, they got a new staff member and we thought we'd go 'introduce' ourselves. I'm guessing you want in?"

"No thanks Drew, I'm staying with my friends today," I ignored the various insults the Drew Crew shot at me as they laughed at my retreating back on the way to our lunch table outside of the cafeteria.

I sat between Zack and Tapeworm as we watched Julie and Max's reenactment of their previous lesson, which for some reason had been especially amusing compared to the others.

"So Cody," Julie said somewhat coldly after everyone had stopped laughing and Julie and Max were now again seated. "You're not sitting with your 'friends' today."

"What are you talking about? I am sitting with my friends," I smiled and her serious disappeared and smiled with me.

"We missed you Cody," Tapeworm gave me a playful rub on the head to prove his point.

"I was only gone for a day! Sometimes I wonder what you guys would do without me if I dropped off the edge of the earth," no one laughed at my little joke and I felt a little guilty that I had made them all worry what would happen if I did drop off the edge of the world.

"Don't you dare," Max voiced everyone's opinions, "I was worried enough about you yesterday! Don't you make me worry about you again Cody Martin."

She gave a half-hearted smile and a punch on the arm from across the table, but I could tell that she meant what she said.

Zack was oddly quiet as he had been all morning. I think that maybe he blamed himself for my actions, he never confessed it though. I'll admit that Zack's comments about me being jealous that he was dating Max and I wasn't may have been the thing that sent me over the edge, but they weren't in anyway what caused this whole thing to start. And so I couldn't hold anything against him, especially because he was what had brought me back down in the end.

"Why'd you do it Cody?" Tapeworm's solemn question was what was on everyone's mind, even mine. And so I couldn't answer him.

"I don't know," denying everything was what had gotten me into this position in the first place, so I decided to keep talking. Not just for my sake, but for everyone else's as well. "I mean, I did the things I did yesterday because I was trying to prove I wasn't what everyone thought I was."

"Why would you do that, we all love you the way you are," Julie put her hands on top of mine and squeezed them reassuringly. I knew she was right, now I did at least.

"I know that now. But the other day when you were all trying to figure out why I was acting differently, I don't know why, but I was just annoyed by it. I guess I was just trying to prove that it wasn't what you thought."

"I don't mean to start up the conversation we were having the other day again, you know the one that sent you ever the edge, but you _did_ start acting differently."

Tapeworm was nodding in agreement with Max, "And it _was_ when Max and Zack began dating."

I could feel inside me that I wanted to snap again, tell them they were wrong, but I fought it back and just replied shortly, "Really?"

"Cody if you had an issue with me dating Max then why didn't you tell me?" Zack sounded hurt, but I could tell it was mostly because he, again, was blaming himself.

"I don't have an issue with you and Max being together! I don't think so at least..."I contemplated that in my head. I thought about the way I like that Max was at our house every morning when I woke up, but disliked the fact it was only to see Zack. I thought about the fact that I was sickened by the sight of them playing mushy couple games, but when she gave me a playful punch on the arm or smile I got butterflies.

"You don't think?" Max asked me sceptically, "Cody, you have to know whether it's bothering you or not."

"Ohhhhh," Tapeworm took a deep breath and looked lost in thought. We all started him, feeling a little left out of this revelation.

"What?" Zack urged him when he stayed looking off into space with his mouth hanging open.

"Ohhhhh!" he exclaimed, this time pointing at me.

"Oh?" Zack looked a little confused for a second but then he got that same look of revelation and also pointed at me, "Ohhhh!"

"What!" Max and Julie both yelled, still not catching on.

"Men," Julie mumbled rolling her eyes while Max just crossed her arms and waited patiently.

"Oh," I stated bluntly as I caught on to what Zack and Tapeworm already had. Why hadn't I realised this before, it could have saved so much drama!

"Care to share?" Max prodded me.

"I guess I did... have a problem with you guys dating," I said slowly. I could feel my cheeks burning up.

"Dude, you liked Max!" Zack exclaimed, the grin on his face reminding me of how he normally was, before his brother had attempted a transformation into juvenile delinquent. I held back the feeling to yell my objection.

"No, I... not really... maybe... no I don't... okay maybe I did," and just like that it was easy. It was as if I had been shackled and they had just been taken off by that simple admittance. It felt good, it made me feel lighter.

But despite the lightness I still prepared myself against the laughter I was sure I would suffer. Instead I felt Zack put his hand on my shoulder, his grin from before gone and replaced with one of seriousness.

"Cody I would have never gone out with Max if I knew you liked her."

"Yeah, if you have a problem with it we'll just stop," Max offered, looking a little guilty as though it were her fault I had been attracted to her.

"What?" Zack snapped quickly, his head whipping around to look at Max.

"No, you don't have to," I insisted, I wasn't prepared to break up the most awaited for couple in the history of our school just so that I was emotionally stable.

"Mates before dates," Max explained then looked pointedly at Zack, "_Right Zack?"_

Zack sighed in defeat, "Right."

"No I mean it guys, I _used_ to have a problem with it," I paused as I thought about this, the realisation only really just reaching me, "But now I don't."

"You don't get over someone in a night Cody," Julie said softly.

"I'm serious! I had a problem with it because I liked Max, but I'm over her now and so I just got over having issues with them dating."

"Aww, Cody," Julie rubbed my arm, "You're so cute when you're being thoughtful of other people."

"Cody we appreciate that you're trying to think of our well being at the moment, but you're the one who needs to be most comfortable with things at the moment," Max smiled warmly at me, and I didn't feel those butterflies I used to. I really was over her, and no one would believe me.

"Keeping your feelings bottled up it what got us into this mess in the first place," Tapeworm reminded me.

I sighed in defeat, they were never going to let me have this one, "You're right, I'm still _so_ in love with Max. I couldn't stand it for one second longer if she was dating my brother, if she did I might just have to jump off a bridge," I ended dramatically.

"Admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery," Julie patted my arm just as the bell went and we all stood up to leave.

"So now that he's admitted he has a problem, that means Max and I can go out again right?" Zack asked hopefully.

"We'll talk about it."

* * *

_A/N: That's it folks! Don't worry I will be writing more, I don't know when it will exactly appear because I like to finish my stories before I post them so they are never left unfinished. I already have some notes down for another Suite Life fic that I may write, but I don't know whether that will be written before or after I write the Meet The Robinsons and Holes fics I have planned as well._

_Okay now for my thankyous! I'll start off with thankyous just for the last chapter:_

_Thank you to Rainbow-Monster for reviewing and showing their appreciation :-)_

_And thank you to getpink for reviewing AND adding The Spider's Venom to their favourite stories list AND for adding ME to their favourite authors list :-) You get extra brownie points XD_

_Now for the entire of my story, I would like to thank:_

_Kulmanari_

_ColeSprouseFan_

_Rainbow-Monster_

_and getpink_

_I especially want to thank Rainbow-Monster, ColeSprouseFan and getpink, I really appreciated that you shared your appreciation and also the fact that some of you added the story to both alerts and favourites list and on top of that added me to their favourite authors as well. :-)_

_See people! Us writers DO like you to tell us what you think!_

_I'll see you all around, bye for now, but not forever XP_

_Me xoxo_


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